‘So You Think You Can Dance’ recap: The final 4 dance and Nigel shocks everyone

Wow. After the last few moments of the show, I feel I need to rethink everything I saw in this episode. I’m simply not sure how I feel about what happened, as I felt that what was said was the honest truth — but absolutely calculated to change what happens as well. But let’s not skip ahead just yet. There’s a lot of show to talk about first, complete with compelling performances and arresting solos. And truthfully, those are happier to think about anyway.

Last week I had pretty much accepted that Cyrus will be one of the two winners picked next week. As a friend pointed out to me, Cyrus has the most Twitter followers of any of the four finalists (and beats them by thousands), and as we know, those who tweet, vote. I absolutely understand why he has such a following — he’s a nice guy. He is a hugely talented animator. And, despite a total lack of formal training, he’s done remarkably well. That being said, it’s still hard for me to root for someone like Cyrus when Chehon is still in the game. Cyrus is doing well despite a lack of training — but I suspect Chehon has done nothing but train from a very, very young age. I respect that. And while it does speak to privilege (I doubt dance lessons were in the budget for Cyrus), it also speaks to incredible determination and hard work. Chehon is a remarkable dancer — and, unlike Cyrus, he’s worked toward that for most of his life.

Cat informs us that we will get five opportunities to see each dancer perform. Well, if you’re wondering how they’re going to fill two hours, there’s your answer.

Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and director/choreoprapher Rob Marshall will be our judges for this evening. Not that the judging matters, unfortunately.

Eliana and Cyrus
The Background: They’ll be doing a paso double by Jason Gilikson. She’s going to be the matador, and Cyrus will be the cape. I thought it was a matador and a bull? Is this the PETA friendly take on the paso double?
The Dance: Eliana is, of course, incredible. And Cyrus isn’t bad, but he never seems to be able to catch air during a leap — it’s like his legs are sewn together.
The Judges: Nigel thinks Eliana has secured her place in the industry. Nigel tells Cyrus he deserves to be here, but he needs to lower his shoulders and straighten his legs. Mary thinks Cyrus delivered passion and drama while Eliana was on fire. Rob loved that Eliana could throw away technique and just tell story.

Tiffany
The Background: She’ll be dancing a Sonya Tayeh routine with season 4’s Will. Tiffany owes Sonya for inspiring her and pushing her, so this is a little emotional for her.
The Dance: I know I’ve been so wowed by Eliana, but man, Tiffany is amazing as well. She has incredible extension and is just a joy to watch.
The Judges: Mary thinks she’s the epitome of a star dancer. Rob thinks she’s so beautiful and amazing to watch. Nigel thinks her lines are amazing and she’s more than the girl next door. I think the judges are always reminded of how good she is, too.

Eliana and Chehon
The Background: The ballet dancers will be dancing ballet! Wow!
The Dance: This is so beautiful. Just beautiful. The sad part, though, is that this routine (I think it’s from “The Nutcracker”?) is, like so much of ballet, about the girl. Chehon has to lift, which is an undervalued skill. And judging from seeing the two of them together, Eliana is not a delicate little flower. Chehon makes it look like she’s a teensy little thing, and that’s clearly not the case.
The Judges: Standing O. Rob is amazed by their versatility. Nigel says the choreographer was a principal with Kirov Ballet. He’s thrilled by it, but notes it doesn’t show off Chehon. Mary thought it was a triumph for the show and gets choked up. No one mentions that Chehon had a bigger ballerina to lift than he may have been used to, which is probably for the best as it wouldn’t make Eliana feel too great.

Nigel wants to tell Californians about a license plate that will fund art in the schools. Find out more about it at fox.com/dance. Plug, plug!

Cyrus and Tiffany
The Background: Tessandra Chavez has a lyrical hip hop routine for the pair. It’s about young love. In the story, Cyrus has broken Tiffany’s heart, she’s moving on, and he feels lousy about what he did.
The Dance and The Judges: I have no idea, as my Internet connection crapped out. I’m sure it was charming.

The four finalists come together for a cutesy routine that involves ripping up some sheet music while dancing to classical music that’s been remixed with some “Star Wars” sound effects. This isn’t really about showing off any new skills and it doesn’t look all that impressive, honestly.

Time for Eliana’s solo. But first, a look at her journey. She wants to enjoy every moment she has on the show. She owes a lot to Cyrus, because he introduced her to more fans. But she really loved dancing with Alex Wong. She thinks of that as the turning point when people really started to know who she was. Eliana very very nearly says Cyrus dragged her down from a dance perspective, but somehow she skates around it. She wants to win so bad! Anyway, her solo is ballet and, of course, very pretty.

Chehon
The Background: He will be dancing a contemporary by Stacey Tookey with all-star Allison.
The Dance: They are so good together! Allison is a little bit of a scene stealer, I’ll say, but Chehon shows some emotions range here that’s nice to see. And the dance itself is remarkable — Chehon has to do a one-handed lift. Whoa.
The Judges: Standing O from the judges. Mary screams. She thinks it was all about freedom and thought he was incredible. Rob couldn’t believe it. Nigel thinks Allison should be an actress, and thinks with Allison, Chehon came alive. He says, “Wow, young man. Wow.” I couldn’t say it better myself. It was definitely wow.

Eliana and Tiffany
The Background: Eliana and Tiffany will be doing a Broadway routine by Ray Leeper. And it will involve a pole.
The Dance: The work on the pole is, of course, incredible, and I guess this was a nod to Rob (who directed the movie version of “Chicago.”) But I really hate this song, and the choreographer doesn’t wow me once Eliana and Tiffany get off the pole. This is not Fosse, not by a long shot.
The Judges: A standing O. The judges are just getting so much exercise this week, what with all the standing and sitting. Nigel is called on first but passes. He’s too overheated. Whatever. Rob tries to envision Queen Latifah doing it. But he thought it was fierce. Mary thinks both of them are extraordinary and thought it was fun and sassy and the last scene on the pole was crazy great. Nigel says the last time he saw something like this he was with Randy Jackson, but he isn’t elaborating.

Time for Cyrus’ solo. He wanted to be a basketball player, and he didn’t get into dance until he was 15 or 16. He never expected to get this far on the show. Yeah. His lowest moment in Vegas was doing Sonya Tayeh’s work and worrying he wasn’t doing her piece justice. He thinks being famous is crazy. I bet he’s the only dancer in the final four who will mention being famous. I will say I love his animation routine. He is truly talented in his genre.

Cat promises us that Tiffany’s off the pole and back for a solo. Pretty sure I haven’t heard that exact phrase on this show before.

Anyway, Tiffany (as promised, off the pole) has a package before her solo. She went into choreography before she got to Vegas and was the only person in the top 20 who had to do that. Wow, I’d forgotten that entirely. She had to fight her way to Vegas. She wasn’t even expecting to make the top 20. She’s fought anonymity from the beginning. She’s a fighter. She dances her ass off, as usual, and I have to say I like her even more based on this little segment.

Cyrus and Chehon
The Background: They’ll be dancing a Sonya Tayeh routine. Sonya admits it’s a struggle for Cyrus, but she’s not dumbing down her routine.
The Dance: I love this. And remarkably, I think Cyrus keeps up pretty well. But yes, Chehon nails it.
The Judges: The judges… remain seated. Nigel thinks they really came up a level. He thinks Cyrus has improved phenomenally on the show. And he’s proud to know him. And he’s an inspiration. He’s his favorite PERSON on the show. Chehon has also grown as a person on the show, but he didn’t need to grow as a dancer. He is his favorite DANCER on the show. He’s inspired. And Jennifer Beals is in the audience! And she was an inspiration to a generation! She didn’t do her own dancing in “Flashdance,” people! I think Jennifer Beals is probably mortified. But Mary was inspired. Rob was inspired. Lots of inspiration.

Next we get a performance from international B-Boy sensation Jean Sok, who doesn’t have a left leg. Wow, I have never seen anyone do such amazing things with crutches and without a leg, or possibly even with a leg and no crutches. Wow, wow. Wow. I have to say, this is one of the most memorable guest dances we’ve seen on the show.

And now we watch a very, very long promo for “The X Factor.”

We move on to Chehon’s solo. He wanted to explore his horizons. He wants to be himself, not a ballet slave! Stacey Tookey believed in him, which helped him so much. He doesn’t care if he wins; he’s just grateful to have been able to open up. This is actually wonderful, as I suspect he isn’t going to win — but the truth is, he has a long work career ahead of him (barring injury). He doesn’t need this win. I don’t know what will happen to Cyrus, though, which makes the idea of him winning a little more palatable. Chehon’s solo is good, of course, but what’s most remarkable is how happy he looks. He really has gotten what he wants out of being on the show already.

Eliana
The Background: She’ll be dancing a Travis Wall routine with Alex Wong from season 7. Eliana, Alex and Travis are goofballs together. That’s what Eliana said, promise.
The Dance: They’re dancing to Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” and so beautifully. I love these guys together. Truly, I wish there had been a season when Eliana and Alex were paired together through the whole thing. Actually, I’d just be happy to pay to see them dance somewhere.
The Judges: Another standing O. Rob thought it was poetry. Nigel says it was his favorite routine of the night. Oh, and Eliana is his favorite dancer of all time on the show. Mary is so happy Alex is back, and she thinks Eliana oozes passion.

Tiffany and Chehon
The Background: They will be doing a rumba, which requires chemistry. As Chehon says, “So awkward! ” Dmitry Chaplin choreographs it with a little backstory about falling in love in Italy.
The Dance: Sweet, though not sexy Latin dancing at all. Which is actually fine. There isn’t real chemistry here, unfortunately. I guess Chehon was being honest. But it’s still beautifully danced.
The Judges: Mary thought it was absolutely beautiful. She thought Chehon’s partnering was great, but he chemistry wasn’t there yet. She thought Tiffany was fabulous. Rob thought it was sexy and he saw a connection. Nigel thought it was sexier than the pole dance.

Cyrus
The Background: This will be the first all-star animation routine with Twitch! Christopher Scott will choreograph, and Cyrus is just so happy he wants to cry.
The Dance: This is all kinds of fun. I love it when we do get to see Cyrus do what he’s good at, because it’s just a reminder that he is talented and he does have a very refined and developed skill set. And Twitch, well, I always love Twitch.
The Judges: Another standing O (yes, the judges are working those quads and gluteus) and the crowd goes wild. So short! Rob thought it was crazy. Mary loved it. She thought they stole the show. Nigel thinks they’re both world class — and Christopher Scott does, too.

And then, Nigel keeps talking. And this is the thing I mentioned at the start of this recap.

Nigel says he loves Cyrus, he thinks he’s great and blah blah blah — but he isn’t going to vote for him. He’s not voting for Cyrus because he’s a dancer and he has to vote for Chehon, because he has to give credit to the strongest, most well-trained dancer.

As Nigel is saying this, Cyrus is looking at him with this flat expression. I think this is officially the first time I haven’t seen the guy smile. At all. For a while. At the very end of Nigel’s rant, he seems to remember himself and pulls out a grin. But this has to be one of the most awkward, uncomfortable moments I’ve ever seen on this show.

There was no real reason to say this to Cyrus. Truly, Nigel seems to be dropping a massive hint to the viewing public — DON’T VOTE FOR CYRUS. I wonder if this will only fire up his fans to vote more, or will convince people to think twice about voting for him. In the end, it doesn’t matter. Nigel’s made it clear that if Cyrus wins, he thinks that’s unfair. And yes, I’ve said I’d prefer to see Chehon take home the prize for the guy division, but I also didn’t say it to Cyrus’ face while he was on stage in front of a live television audience. I think that’s what I find most disappointing. Cyrus told me in our interview that his hope throughout the season was to convince the judges that he was a dancer — that they’d eventually say he was good, period, not good in spite of his lack of training.

Clearly, that day is not coming. Whatever nice stuff Nigel spouted about loving Cyrus’ bones and thinking he’s a fabulous, inspiring person all came down to — and you’re not trained. I get it. It’s true. But I’m not convinced saying it was very sporting or very supportive. And I thought, at this point in the game, that’s what the judges were supposed to be.

What did you think of Nigel’s statement? Who do you think will win? Did Nigel’s comments influence you either way?

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I thought Nigel’s statement was completely out of line. I’ve watch SYTYCD since the beginning and there have been plenty of seasons where the best “dancer” didn’t win. Nigel was always the first to reminder us that the show was about finding American’s “favorite dancer” not the best. Nigel’s comments tonight contradict the spirit of the show he’s always emphasizing.

It’s clear that Cyrus isn’t the best dancer but he has the most heart. Week after week he goes out there and shows America he’s giving 200%. That’s something to admire. There’s is no reason to imply that Cyrus doesn’t deserve to win because he didn’t grow up dancing. Thanks to Nigel, this is the first time I voted in 9 seasons and that vote was for Cyrus.

By: Liane Starr

09.13.2012 @ 2:33 AM

I think a lot of people will vote for Cyrus just because of what Nigel said. Whatever his reasons for saying it, it was heartless.

By: www.FullWattage.com

09.20.2012 @ 3:22 PM

I agree. I think Nigel’s comment was in bad taste. And to bring it up again at the finale!

By: Benngie

09.12.2012 @ 3:37 AM

I agree. I was taken aback and felt badly for Cyrus. For the girls, I love Eliana. I found it interesting, in the pole dance, although both ladies are beautiful dancers, you could see the difference experience makes. Putting the two side by side, I could see the maturity of Eliana, where Tiffany danced more like a young girl, not a woman. My vote goes to Eliana.

By: Monique

09.12.2012 @ 3:58 AM

I agree. I could not believe that Nigel would say that to any contestant.

By: Liane Starr

09.13.2012 @ 2:33 AM

The look on Cyrus’ face was the worst part — he just looked stricken.

By: Db

09.12.2012 @ 3:56 AM

I thought Nigel’s comments were completely inappropriate. I too have been a dedicated viewer of SYTYCD since the beginning and I have never seen Nigel attempt to direct the viewing so strongly. While I don’t necessarily disagree with his opinions, it was an obvious attempt to control the outcome. Eliana is his favorite of any season and Cyrus doesn’t deserve the win because he didn’t have the opportunity to receive formal training. Shame on you Nigel. Let the results stand for themselves. It is about “America’s favorite dancer” not the most trained.

By: NayNay

09.12.2012 @ 4:16 AM

Nigel’s comment is the reason why I don’t trust the votes. His comments were totally out of line and he should be fired. The show would have ended on a high note, that last dance with Cyrus and Twitch was amazing. What a way to end the show every dancing brough their A game. And sour puss ass Nigel with his mis-use of power had to end it on a negative note. I wish Cyrus all the best and I hope he is the winning guy now more than ever.

By: D

09.12.2012 @ 4:42 AM

Nigel’s comments are only inappropriate, because he should have made similar comments earlier in the process. Meaning, instead of always overlooking Cyrus’s lack of skill (and honestly, he was not asked to dance to the same level as anyone else … his routines were always easier and low on skill level) and playing up “how far he’s come”. There should have been an honest assessment of his dancing from the beginning.

By: tomincmh

09.12.2012 @ 5:47 AM

Agreed. They’ve coddled Cyrus from the beginning of the season. They should have honestly thrown at him the same choreography anyone else would have gotten and he’d either rise to the occasion or fall on his face. Unfortunately they didn’t and because of the coddling from both the choreographers and the judges, he’s now in the finals with a serious shot at winning.

This season Nigel continued his tradition of finding a likable “untrained” dancer that America will tune in and root for, but he’s bitten off more than he can chew this year and instead of cutting that person loose right after we hit the top 10 (as has also been the tradition so they qualify for the tour), the “untrained” guy may actually win the show in spite of lacking any sort of dancing ability outside of his own style. To some kind of degree, this show is still a dancing competition and Cyrus making it this far is an absolute embarrassment.

By: Liane Starr

09.13.2012 @ 2:38 AM

Excellent point. If Nigel is actually trying to influence voting, he needed to have a conversation with the choreographers about raising the bar weeks ago. Plus, he needed to be a lot more honest about how he really felt about Cyrus. It seemed to me he and Mary would always say, yes, your feet were all wrong and your shoulders too high but your PASSION! You’re so CAPTIVATING! Thus, he felt blindsided this week, which was just unnecessary and cruel.

By: Jaxemer11

09.15.2012 @ 5:05 AM

Exactly. Nigel has been exaggerating Cyrus’ performances all season. He should have been telling the truth (that Cyrus simply wasn’t that good) from the beginning. Instead, he never said anything bad about Cyrus in order to keep ratings somewhat hugh, and is now desperately trying to protect the credibility of the show by trying to keep Cyrus from winning.

By: ridereyna2

09.12.2012 @ 5:11 AM

Nigel has said many times that the show is about America’s Favorite Dancer…notnecessarily the Best. I lost some respect for him tonight. How dare he make those remarks during the live feed. It was cruel.

By: Calipha

09.12.2012 @ 5:26 AM

I don’t think Nigel was being fair to Cyrus at all. It is about America’s Favorite Dancer, not Nigel’s favorite dancer. I voted for Cyrus. Before Nigel’s comment I probably would not have voted at all.

By: MH

09.12.2012 @ 6:27 AM

Have to honestly say, Nigel was completely out of line for trying to bring down the hype that is Cyrus! Lets face it, Cyrus might not be the “trained” dancer Chehon is, but he is the better and bigger man. He did what was taught to him as he went and never lost heart. Personally I think Chehon is a joke who has had everything handed to him and doesn’t deserve to win anything but a ticket back to his cottage.

By: Jodi

09.12.2012 @ 7:03 AM

It just broke my heart to see Cyrus’s face when Nigel said what he did. It was unnecessary, cruel and a crappy way to end a wonderful 2 hours of dancing. Shame on Nigel. I can only hope that viewers will think, “Well, if that jerk isn’t voting for Cyrus, I will,” and then Cyrus will get extra votes. I love both guy dancers, but Nigel’s cruelty makes me now 51% for Cyrus, 49% for Chehon.

By: Kate

09.12.2012 @ 8:00 AM

Nigel was totally inappropriate and I agree with the person that said it was the most awkward moment on the show. He took a great moment and blew it up. As a loyal fan I was so sad and I too voted for Cyrus…and I’ve never voted before!

By: wonderland

09.12.2012 @ 1:09 PM

I agree with all of the comments above; but I think all alone Nigel should have been honest from the start. He might not be the best trained dancer, but he is the most improve dancer on the show. Nigel should have known better. I love Cyrus and I hope he don’t let this get him down!

By: parker

09.12.2012 @ 1:58 PM

I thought Nigel was stirring up Cyrus’s fan base to get him over the line. Why would he turn against him now after all these weeks of blowing smoke up his ass?

By: mel

09.12.2012 @ 2:46 PM

Thank you Parker! That is exactly what I think too. While what Nigel said was honest, I do also believe it was really inappropriate for the moment and the time. And I think the motive was to do exactly what you said regarding fan base. I mean, just look at the people on here who say they never voted for Cyrus before but did last night. I’d say for Nigel=his mission accomplished.

By: Liane Starr

09.13.2012 @ 2:40 AM

I think that’s a distinct possibility. As the saying goes, even bad publicity is still publicity, and this got people talking. But I have to wonder if this will come back to haunt him, as in the short term it may goose ratings for the final episode, but it may also turn off viewers if the show comes back for another season (which is by no means guaranteed).

By: luana

09.12.2012 @ 2:05 PM

While Nigel didn’t have to clearly say he won’t be voting for Cyrus, in my opinion, there was nothing wrong with what he said. The only problem I see is that Nigel allowed Cyrus to be consistently given mediocre choregraphy and never criticized him as a dancer before.
Making a great spaghetti does not qualify anyone to be a chef. Cyrus is OK doing his own thing but he is not a dancer. It has nothing to do with the formal training. Last season there was a B-boy dancer that was great. He was even great at ballroom and always did great at all genres.having choreographies as hard as everyone else’s. Cyrus usually only had to move his arms. , hold the girls, jump a little a d make faces. It was painful to watch him do barely nothing and be praised by the judges. How could Cyrus be in the final instead of Cole? It’s just plain unfair. This is still a dancing competition. Even if it’s “America’s FAVORITE dancer”, the with her still should BE a DANCER. Cyrus is NOT a dancer. He is just a guy who can dance one genre and even in his genre, most of what he does is very simple. I have seen better dancers than Cyrus dancing in the street for tips. I don’t have absolutely anything against Cyrus, the person. He is probably a nice guy and Ican only imagine how much effort he had to make to keep up even with the easier choreography he was given throughout the whole show and I admire his courage and persistence. But I couldn’t possibly call him a DANCER or praise him as a DANCER. If Cyrus wins, this show will lose all credibility as a serious show about DANCE. It would be like the person who can make a tasty spaghetti, and nothing else that tastes great, winning Top Chef.

By: Jess Haynie

09.12.2012 @ 4:50 PM

BINGO!

It took a long time, but Cyrus is what Nigel has probably always feared; personality overtaking dance acumen beyond the point of credibility. The best dancers have lost many times (Lacey, Jakob, Kathryn), so there’s a perfectly acceptable margin for it. But Cyrus breaches that point and pisses off the intellectual fanbase to the point that they may not stick with the show (which, in it’s desperation to stay on the air, Nigel can’t afford).

His comments last night were, to me, an attempt to push American toward Chehon as he tries to save the show. I think it was a tactical error as he’s more likely to create backlash and generate even more sympathy votes for Cyrus. But when has Nigel been anything but arrogant?

I surrendered to the inevitably of Cyrus’ victory a while back, so I don’t really care now. Just happy that Eliana really distanced herself from Tiffany last night and SHOULD win for the girls. If she doesn’t, will be the greater tragedy than whatever outcome comes from the boys.

By: Jaxemer11

09.15.2012 @ 5:09 AM

Cole was 100 times better than Cyrus ever will be.

By: charlie

09.12.2012 @ 7:22 PM

Cyrus is AMAZING! Nigel did not need to say that.

By: charlie

09.12.2012 @ 7:24 PM

Cyrus is AMAZING!
…So is Chehon but I don’t think Nigel should have said that…

By: Jaxemer11

09.15.2012 @ 5:02 AM

Nigel was just trying to save the credibility if the show. Cyrus had no business making it to the final. He has improved over the season, but he is not even close to being in the same class as the other three (and several others that went home before him). Twitch is a far better dancer than Cyrus ever will be.

By: Kylashea

09.20.2012 @ 2:45 AM

Nigel PISSED ME OFF!! He was a hippocrite! How do you say “It’s not about being the “best dancer” but being America’s favorite dancer!!” then in the same breath say “I’m not giving you my vote because he’s a “dancer”! I was so angry and for a person who rarely votes he made me pick up my phone. The hurt in Cyrus’s face spoke volumes! This is the only reason he did not win AND this is the ONLY season I’ve ever heard Nigel say who would or would not be getting his vote. Yes, he does say who his favorite is but that is not the same thing. I am a faithful so you think you can dance fan and always go see the show live, I must admit I lost a little bit of respect for Nigel because I believe the intentional words he said changed the outcome of the show! It made me feel like I felt when Bush got elected because he changed the votes in Florida.

By: www.FullWattage.com

09.20.2012 @ 3:25 PM

Yes, Nigel definitely seemed determined to sway the outcome. However, sometimes comments like that enrage the fans to pick up the phone and vote. Nonetheless, all in all I thought it was a tremendous season with so many talented dancers.